HARLINGEN – A Harlingen woman said she’s waiting for a subcontractor to pay hundreds of dollars he owes to her husband.

Mary Cruz and her family recently moved to the Rio Grande Valley from Florida. She said they are trying to fix up their home.

She’s speaking out for her husband, who is currently looking for another job. She said the contractor gave him a useless check worth more than $600.  

“He post-dated it and then plus he didn’t write the check like we do: the month, day and year. He wrote it the day, month and year, so it would be like we wouldn’t get paid until December,” she said.

Cruz said the subcontractor fixed the date, but she added the check is still just ink and paper. “(We) went to the bank, and they said they have no funds in the bank,” she said.

Cruz said the subcontractor, Luciano Arias Medina, is giving them false hope.

“We’ve been there several times to get paid, and he tells him he’s going to pay him next Friday because he hasn’t got paid. And next Friday comes and then he says Tuesday he’s going to pay him by a certain time. (My husband) tries to call him and he ignores the calls,” she said.

Medina told CHANNEL 5 NEWS the reason Cruz’s husband wasn’t paid is because he is waiting to get paid from another company. He didn’t want to reveal the name of the company he’s working for.

“We are not hiding or denying anything. The problem is not with us. It was with the company that was doing the job. It has been solved. I think everything is ready. So, for Saturday morning, it must be ready,” he said.

Cruz said she’ll wait for the newest deadline with caution.

The Texas Workforce Commission helps employees claim unpaid wages by administering the Texas Payday Law.

The law states a person must submit a wage claim no later than 180 days after original due date for the payment. Each claim should say the amount owed and the reason the specific amount is due.

Count on CHANNEL 5 NEWS to bring you updates as they become available.